Golden Network plucks Cherry, Yugo & Lala

Hong Kong-based Golden Network Asia has picked up international rights to Chinese black comedy A Cherry On A Pomegranate Tree, from the producer of Venice Horizons title The Sword Identity.

The feature debut of theatre director Chen Li, the film is based on Li Er’s controversial novel of the same name which has sold 100,000 copies in Germany. The contemporary tale revolves around a woman battling to become village chief, whose life gets complicated when a pregnant villager, who has broken the family planning policy, disappears.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave the book to the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao as a Christmas gift in 2008.

Golden Network also handled producer Rui Li’s The Sword Identity, a high-brow martial arts title directed by Xu Haofeng, which screened at Venice and Toronto and was sold to Lionsgate’s genre label Grindstone.

The Hong Kong-based seller has also picked up Chinese CGI animation Yugo & Lala, produced by Cheerland Entertainment, which is scheduled for Chinese release in summer 2012.

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